Monday, August 22, 2016

Book Review: Death by Diploma (Kelley Kaye)

Death by Diploma

by: Kelley Kaye

Genres: Mystery (Cozy)

Emma Lovett leaves her philandering husband and crosses the country to begin her teaching career at a high school in Pinewood, Colorado.There, she meets Leslie Parker, a fellow teacher given to quoting Shakespeare to fit all situations, and the two become fast friends.

Arriving at work early one morning, Emma discovers the body of the school custodian, a man who reminds her of her late father. When the police struggle to find the killer, the ladies decide to help solve the murder. Their efforts lead them to a myriad of suspects: the schizophrenic librarian, the crude football coach, the mysterious social studies teacher, and even Emma’s new love interest.As Emma Lovett discovers the perils of teaching high school, she and Leslie learn more than they ever wanted to know about the reasons people kill.

**WE RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR THE FOLLOWING HONEST REVIEW**

Death by Diploma is classified as a "cozy mystery," which is a term that I had to investigate. It turns out that "cozies" are books that downplay/put a humorist twist on sex and/or violence.....this book definitely fits the category.

This one starts out really slow, which means that I almost gave up on it several times. Emma and Leslie are awesome main characters, but Emma's sometimes HORRIBLE southern dialect drove me insane. **Note to non-southern authors: you can't "write" an accent.....it doesn't work.....it isn't close to accurate......and it leaves readers with a bad taste in their mouth (especially those of us who grew up in the south).** Once the plot got really interesting (about halfway through the book) I was hooked. The dedication that the teachers had, to solve the murder of the school custodian, was admirable. This is the kind of mystery book that didn't give things away until the most perfect moment. So, although things started out slow, this "cozy" novel was worth the read!As always, all of the good stuff is listed below.Until next time.......